Knight of Zero
by MithLuin
Summary: Some behind-the-scenes insights about the Zero Requiem from Suzaku's POV, filling in a few of those gaps and timeskips during the last 5 episodes of R2. Spoilers, obviously.
1. Knight of Zero

_Knight of Zero_

_Takes place during R2 episode 22: Emperor Lelouch. Contains spoilers for everything. Just a short little introspective piece, looking at the relationship between Suzaku and Lelouch.  
_

Suzaku had smiled at the irony as soon as the words left Lelouch's mouth. "You will be my Knight of Zero." Lelouch's ambitions had always outstripped his own. His ultimate aim had been to become the Knight of One so that he could rescue Japan from careless Imperial rulers. But Zero trumped One, just as Lelouch trumped him. Were they friends or enemies now? It was hard to say.

They had been both in the time since they met, nearly a decade ago, and never tepid or lukewarm – fierce enemies, but fiercer friends. Together, they could accomplish anything; even redemption. He and Lelouch were closer now than they had ever been, but it was a strange unity. He had always understood the advice about keeping friends close, but enemies closer; did Lelouch buy that, though? He seemed to keep everyone at arm's length, even those he cared dearly about. Or maybe particularly those he cared about. They were united in purpose now, so he supposed that could be seen as friendship. But that purpose was destruction, so they were technically mortal enemies.

When he'd asked Lelouch if they were best friends or worst enemies now, the Emperor had laughed.

"You were always my most frustrating enemy, Suzaku, but never my worst one...and my first friend."

"No one else was stubborn enough to get through to you, I guess," Suzaku responded to the dubious praise.

"No one else earned my trust," Lelouch said quietly, the smile falling away.

"You're one to talk about trust," Suzaku chided him. He looked over to see C2 frowning. She was withdrawn and pensive these days; Suzaku wondered if she'd always been that sad and aloof. Of the collaborators, she seemed to have the least at stake, but he would not bet on that.

It was a strange game they were playing now, to rules that only Lelouch made. But unlike before, Lelouch brought others into the Zero Requiem. Suzaku could not let his doubts get in the way of their dream, and he had his own sins to atone for. If Lelouch was the man who could make lies into truth by mere force of will, then Suzaku had an obligation to defend that truth, even if it meant living a lie. But standing here in this peaceful garden, far from Japan, it was easy to let the doubts surface. Britannia was crumbling around him, after all, and very soon the world would follow.

It was true that Lelouch was more than capable of betraying him now. Once the world was at his feet, would he really honor their agreement? Or would Suzaku be swept away as a trusting fool; a pawn who had played his part, but could be sacrificed now? If so, all he was doing was helping to usher in the bleakest dictatorship the world had ever seen. But even though he knew Lelouch _could_ do it, his heart told him he wouldn't. There had been a change in him. Power was just a game to him now. As always, his eyes were on the end goal. That was where even Lelouch could not hide his own sincerity. Or so Suzaku believed, anyway. Lelouch recognized the inevitability of the path he had chosen, and strangely welcomed the end. Maybe there had been a chance, long ago...but when Zero refused to join with Princess Euphemia, he'd all but guaranteed that he could not live to see the new world he wished to create.

And Suzaku knew the truth was that they had both loved Nunnally, after a fashion. He could bring himself to serve as Zero's Knight for her sake. He did wonder, sometimes, what Nunnally would have thought of all of this. She was a gentle soul, like…like Euphy. It was easy to believe that they were sisters; the hard part was remembering they were only half sisters. Each had a ruthless full sibling. But any importance he may have once attached to bloodlines had vanished when he'd met Nunnally's parents. He smiled again. He could see them as Lelouch's parents! Lelouch even looked like his mother. That ambition that drove him – he certainly got it honest! But Nunnally…he had seen nothing of her in either of them. She and Euphy had become who they were despite their parentage, even in spite of their upbringing. There were truly good people in this world.

Too bad he and Lelouch weren't among them. He'd tried so hard to be upright and just, while Zero made a sham of the concept of justice. But in the end, he was the greater failure. Zero's lies became truth, while he had to bear the weight of the sins whose consequences he'd escaped. Perhaps he'd known all along that the ten year old boy who killed his own father was his true self. After all, once one has wiped out a million civilians whom he was supposed to protect, he cannot claim honor as a knight. But as the Knight of Zero…he did not have to pretend to have honor. He was an avenging sword of a ruthless conqueror, nothing more. He had become the very thing the Japanese had accused him of all along – a traitor, to both Japan _and_ Britannia. But it did feel good to be on the same side as Lelouch for once, strangely enough.

They both understood that he had no choice but to preserve his own life – sacrificing it was impossible. It would have to be Lelouch. How very ironic that Lelouch would find the one way of torturing him, by the seemingly kind act of saving his life. He would return the favor, though – he would put an end to Lelouch's life if need be – out of friendship.

Friends or enemies? It was hard to say. They were accomplices and brothers. Everything they did was for Euphy and Nunnally, both to avenge their deaths and to create the world where neither of them would have been trapped and betrayed. He could only hope that truly good people out there would make it a gentler world if he gave them the chance. And for now, that meant defending Lelouch against the many enemies he'd earned…until the time came to strike him down.


	2. Final Pact

_Final Pact_

_Takes place immediately following the confrontation with Emperor Charles and Empress Marianne in Episode 21.  
_

"You can't kill me yet."

Those words gave Suzaku pause. "Explain," he said succinctly. He'd be lying if he claimed to have understood everything that had just passed between the Emperor and Lelouch and C2, but he felt he got the gist of it. He hadn't even begun to process how Anya could really have been the mother of Lelouch and Nunnally.

But he'd certainly been justified in his desire to assassinate the bastard. Worse than ignoring his people, he'd planned to annihilate them, kill their hopes and dreams.

A desire that was quickly expressing itself in favor of Lelouch. The alien geassed eyes staring at him out of Lelouch's face were infuriating. He almost didn't care whose blood stained his sword. Almost.

"You heard him, we've chosen reality. But that means the world of Schneizel, for if we leave it now, my older brother will certainly take over not just Britannia, but the whole world. Do _you_ trust him to make it a place where people can live in peace?"

Suzaku hung his head. "No. I trusted him to be coldblooded enough to send me here as assassin, nothing more. That was the only reason I instigated his coup d'état. I've learned to be...expedient." He spit out the last word as if it were evil.

Lelouch took a step back and looked at Suzaku in shock, but quickly regained his composure. "But I can defeat him. Let me live, and I will take him down for you."

"Like you're any better? I trusted Euphemia, and I trusted Nunnally, but what makes you think I should trust _you_ to rule the world? Hah! You're no different from Prince Schneizel, are you? At least…at least he makes the effort to _appear_ kind. All you do is...lie. About everything."

Lelouch just smiled at him. "Because in the end, I'm going to ask you to kill me. I doubt you'd get such a request from any of the others."

Now it was Suzaku's turn to be shocked. "You're going to have to be honest with me this time, Lelouch. No begging, no theatrics. Explain why I shouldn't just kill you now and figure out some way to deal with Schneizel on my own."

Lelouch's mouth quirked in a sad smile. "You loved my sister Euphemia, didn't you?"

"You know I did."

"Well, I loved her first. I've known her longer than you, after all." If it was his goal to infuriate Suzaku, he was succeeding. Lelouch turned his back on both Suzaku and C2, and looked out into the nebulous distance of this strange place. Time might matter here, but he knew that the three-dimensional space he was looking at was largely an illusion. Physical reality blurred...and Suzaku was impatiently awaiting the rest of his explanation. "So I know how tempting it should have been for you to listen to my mother and wish to rejoin her. And yet you made no effort to stop me. Why?"

"Because I loved her," he answered promptly. "Princess Euphemia would not have wanted that world. I would rather obey her wishes than selfishly seek to be reunited with her. The past is…"

"In the past," Lelouch finished for him, turning back around to face his one-time friend. "Exactly. You wish to create a future. So do I. But you cannot gain this future by your methods. In the end, you will still be subordinate to Schneizel, and unable to change Britannia. You will remain a tool of the Empire."

"And Zero's methods are any more effective? What do you bring about but bloodshed?" True, he was ignoring the creation of the UFN. But since the first resolution of that body had been to start an armed conflict in Japan....

"Agreed." With one word, Lelouch discarded the old argument between them. "We need a new method. We need to combine forces...combine methods."

For the first time, C2 seemed interested in the conversation.

"You said it to me back at the Shrine, Suzaku – that I have to make Zero's lies true. Wear the mask til the end. But pretending to be good will only take me so far. What is really needed is that I wear a new mask - one that works from within, and gives the people something to strive against."

"Which one?"

"That of a demon emperor. I will command the world, and by the power of geass, it will fall at my feet. Even Schneizel will be forced to obey me. It is the only way."

"How is that any better?" Suzaku said indignantly. "How is this supposed to make me not want to kill you?"

Lelouch smiled. "On the contrary, that is exactly what I want." He swept his arms wide. "The whole world will _demand, _no, wish earnestly for my destruction. Compared to me, the sins of those who have gone before will be insignificant. But only the true Zero, the Knight of Justice, will be able to slay me." He bowed to Suzaku. "You will have your revenge. For all the sins that I have committed, you will slay me in front of the whole world. For you are the one who can wear that mask without lying.

"And then, when all that is hateful is no more, the world will be a kinder place. A world where…where Nunnally could have lived happily," he finished quietly.

"Will you be able to do that? To wear that mask in front of all your former allies, while they accuse you of betraying them?" Suzaku knew how difficult such a path could be; he'd always been accused of being a traitor, by everyone.

"I am ready. I have given up all that was once dear to me, and will allow no one to stand in my path. For the sake of a future Nunnally would have approved of. Can you live this lie, for a little while? Can you delay your vengeance until all the tasks at hand have been cleared?" Lelouch was good at making earnest pleas, and he held nothing back this time.

Suzaku offered his sword to him. "I'll do it. This plan I can support. I will tarnish my name and go down with you, for the sake of the future. You and I, we cannot walk a path of honor, but we can do this, at least. We can destroy the world so that it may be rebuilt without fear."

Lelouch grasped the hilt. "I accept your allegiance, Sir Suzaku Kururugi. You will be my Knight of Zero, the protector of the Zero Requiem."

"There's just one problem with this plan," C2 spoke up.

"I have not forgotten you, either," Lelouch informed her. "I know what you want most, and I have every intention of giving it to you. You need merely wait for the end of the Zero Requiem. That...is your future."

"I see. So that's how you plan to atone." She looked between them. "You're both masochists."

Suzaku and Lelouch looked at one another and grinned. "We've lost everything, so let us take over the world!" Lelouch said.

"And then lose it all again," Suzaku answered.

Their laughter echoed through C's world.

* * *

_Author's Note: Well, it seems my one shot has turned into a series of one shots. There's quite a lot happening behind the scenes towards the end of the series, so here's a glimpse into some of it, from Suzaku's POV. _


	3. Recruiting Nina

_Recruiting Nina_

_Set during R2 episode 23_

_Nunnally lives. _It was a refrain, like a heartbeat. He knew it would be enough to overwhelm Lelouch. It was almost too much for Suzaku. But there was nothing he could do about that now. It didn't change anything; the Zero Requiem marched on. After all, the other victims of the Tokyo settlement were still lost. He wouldn't pretend that her words didn't pierce him like a knife, too, but she couldn't understand the future they were fighting for.

If she weren't by Schneizel's side, he'd explain it to her.

He clenched his fists in frustration. _No. _That was not an option. Lelouch, he knew, would do everything he could to assure Nunnally's survival, but it could not come before the Zero Requiem. Maybe when this was all over, he'd have a chance to explain. Perhaps.

"Lloyd. Come with me, please."

"Oh, what now, Suzaku? This had better be important." Lloyd's face was glued to the screen, studying the data they were just now receiving from the destruction of Pendragon. As always, the man had no respect for rank.

"It is. And more than that, I promise you it will be interesting."

"Oh? You should know better than to set me up for disappointment like that."

"Would you like to work with Nina again, as a collaborator?"

"Hmmm. That girl _is_ interesting. A bit naïve like you, of course, but she has such a clever mind."

"While I don't?" Suzaku shook his head, but didn't laugh. His heart was too heavy for joking. "Help me recruit her for the Zero Requiem."

"Is that what the Emperor's up to? Very well, I'll tag along. But I doubt she's in any frame of mind to concentrate right now."

"You too, Miss Cecile."

She looked between the two men. "Right."

Nina was curled up in the corner of her holding cell, hunched over and doing her best to block out the world. She'd been brought aboard as soon as she was apprehended at the road block, but they didn't even leave anyone to guard her.

"Congratulations, you got picked up by the winning side!" Lloyd said in greeting. Suzaku almost regretted bringing him along, but he knew the older man, despite his callous approach, was actually quite good at reading human conflicts. Still, maybe Cecile could have just explained it all to Nina? Too late now.

"Go away," came the mumbled response. "I won't cooperate. I won't help you build any more FLEIJAs."

"Oh, we wouldn't want to do that anyway. The Emperor isn't interested in them, and what would be the fun of working on something we've done already?"

Nina looked up, but did not respond to him. She looked at Suzaku and clenched her fists. "How could you? You were…you were Princess Euphemia's knight. She trusted you. And now you are working with her murderer! Why, Suzaku?"

Suzaku looked down on his pleading classmate. Many people would ask him '_Why?'_ and he would never be allowed to give an answer. But now, it was permitted. He may not be able to tell Nunnally, but he could at least tell Nina.

"Have you ever done something that you regretted?" There was no compassion in his gaze. "Something you wished you could undo?"

Nina hung her head, and wrapped her arms around her chest. Her hat obscured her face. "You know I have."

"So have I. And so has Lelouch." She looked up again, still holding herself. "But that is all in the past. We can't undo it. All we can do is work towards a future where it will not happen again."

"But you're destroying Britannia!" She stood up now, and faced him. "What you and Lelouch, no, Zero, are doing – it's not building a future without regrets. I _won't_ help you."

"Oh, that's too bad. It looks like Schneizel will be allowed to use the FLEIJAs unchecked, then," Lloyd threw in.

Nina turned to him in shock. "Prince Schneizel… using FLEIJAs?"

Lloyd nodded. "Mm-hmm. He took out Pendragon already, and no doubt the Avalon is on his list of targets."

"What! The capital! How could he? I thought…I thought he loved Britannia?"

"Prince Schneizel loves winning," Suzaku informed her, "but he's not going to…if we learn how to counter FLEIJA."

Nina started shaking. "That's what this is about? That's what you want me to do?"

Cecile nodded. "Things are not as they appear here. The Emperor and Sir Kururugi have a plan that won't have been apparent to those reporting the news."

Nina looked at Suzaku questioningly. "Can you answer my question from before?" She was not accusing him now, just begging for answers; searching for the truth, a way out of this place.

"We are atoning, Nina. We are giving the world what it wants. The people of the world want a brighter future. They want peace, and a chance to strive for happiness. That is what Princess Euphemia knew. But with all the hatred, all that they get are wars and conflict. If we can focus that hatred on one point, we can obliterate it. Then, people will be free to build that future. Do you see?"

"No, I don't. I'm afraid…I've never really followed politics before. " Suzaku looked at Lloyd helplessly.

"Nina, dear, we're not asking you to play politics. Just to do what you've always done. Who better to come up with countermeasures against FLEIJA than its creator, hmm?"

She held herself very still. They waited for her to speak.

"I have to atone, too. I have to stop FLEIJA from destroying the people of Britannia, don't I?"

"Lelouch will give you everything you need to do that. Will you join us?" Suzaku asked her.

She nodded. "Yes. For Princess Euphemia, I will make a FLEIJA canceller!"

Suzaku smiled at her, relieved that there was one more person he need not lie to. That it was someone else who looked up to Euphemia as he did made it even better. _If you understood what we were doing, you would approve too, wouldn't you, Nunnally?_

"Well then, let's get you out of here and back to work," Llloyd said, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

"I'll brief you on Mission Apate Alethea later," Cecile added.

"The lies that cover truth?" Nina asked.

The others nodded.

"You'll find everything just as you left it, though I'm afraid some of our energies will have to be devoted to upgrades on Knightmare Frames. But you can leave that to me, and we'll let you devote your efforts to anti-FLEIJA…" Lloyd was lost in his own world, as happy as ever. Suzaku watched the others follow him, and thought that Nina would be alright.

Just a little longer…one more decisive battle…and then…

He clenched his fist. He was the Knight of Zero. He would destroy the enemies of his Emperor. That was the only truth the world had to see. _Don't stand in our way, Nunnally. Trust us, as you once did!_

_

* * *

Author's Note: I don't think it was ever public knowledge that Zero and Lelouch were the same person. I mean, obviously the Black Knights and other important players knew by now, but when did Nina find out? I'd have to re-watch a good chunk of R2 to be sure, so correct me if I'm wrong ;). I have taken some liberties with the details of canon for this scene, anyway. Lloyd was apparently on the ground at the roadblock, and Lelouch said to treat her well (ie, not as a prisoner). Sorry about that; I just felt it worked better this way. If I do more of these, there will likely be a distinct change in tone.  
_


	4. Green Eyed Boy, meet Mr Death

_How Do You Like Your Green-eyed Boy, Mr. Death?_

_Takes place after the battle on the Damocles during the final episode "Re;"._

"So, what's it like being dead?" Lelouch asked him.

Suzaku stretched out on the couch in what was now the Emperor's private quarters. "I kinda like it," he grinned, tilting his head back to look up at his questioner.

"Don't get used to it," Lelouch warned him.

Suzaku had no memory of his final moments after he and Kallen had defeated one another, suggesting that his geass command to live had taken over completely and somehow gotten him out of the Lancelot's cockpit. He'd been found near the wreckage and taken to what medical facilities existed on the Damocles. Lelouch really did think of everything. He'd just declared himself ruler of the world, but he still took the time to arrange to keep Suzaku's survival a strict state secret. Of course, his geass allowed him to _make_ people forget what they'd seen, but still. Suzaku's injuries were surprisingly mild, considering. Superficial scrapes and burns only. He'd be a bit sore and bruised for a few days, but cleaning up after the battle _(his last one)_ had really been all he'd needed to do. He had managed to escape without significant internal bleeding, just a concussion and some bruised ribs.

"You have Lord Jeremiah; you don't need me any more," Suzaku informed the emperor, idly wiggling his fingers as he stretched out his arm towards the ceiling light. He was quite effectively removed from the picture; there was no more Knight of Zero.

"Don't be absurd. You are a key piece of the plan. Without you, there can be no Zero Requiem."

Suzaku's smile faded. "Yeah, I guess that's right. But it will take even you a little while to subdue the whole world."

"I have Schneizel to help me," Lelouch pointed out. "Though, to be honest..."

"Hmmm?" Suzaku looked over, and sat up.

"I think I'm going to miss collaborating with you." It was not the type of thing Lelouch usually said, and Suzaku blinked. True, Suzaku wasn't really dead. But he couldn't leave this room now or show his face. So Lelouch was left to carry the burden of their plan mostly alone, at least publicly. So far, he'd done a pretty admirable job of it, but the strain was definitely getting to him. Hopefully, the worst was over. Suzaku resolved to keep an eye on him in the coming weeks. It's not like he'd have much else to do. It wasn't that Suzaku was opposed to making plans and working on things in advance. He just preferred to be more active, to implement the plans. And soon enough...their collaboration would be at an end. But it wasn't Suzaku's death that was going to end it.

It was C.C.'s idea to transport him off the Damocles in a coffin. When he protested, Lelouch overrode his objections. "It's the most convenient and least suspicious way to prevent anyone from seeing you, and we'll have to prepare for a state funeral at some point, anyway. Better if people see your remains being carted around now." Suzaku resigned himself to the unpleasantness. By now, the novelty of being dead and out of the action had worn off, and he was beginning to get a little bored. He was even cut off from the others who had been brought into the plan, since there weren't many feasible ways of allowing him to visit the prisoners. He hadn't insisted. He wasn't sure he wanted to face Lloyd and Cecile after destroying the Lancelot, especially knowing that he would no longer be able to work as a devicer for them.

Laying in the coffin gave him plenty of time to think about what they were doing. His old life was effectively over. No one would know who he was once he assumed his new identity. Maybe some few would guess, despite his staged death, but that would not matter. Suzaku Kururugi might have climbed into this coffin (mostly) willingly, but it was Zero who would get out of it. Zero. A masked terrorist he'd striven and fought against for so long, wishing to vanquish. And now, he had the chance to not just vanquish Zero, but to rewrite him. It was his decisions that would shape the policy of the new Zero, influencing the new Japan, the new Britannia, perhaps even the UFN. But no one would know his past, and so he would not be fighting against their expectations for an Eleven, for the son of the last Prime Minister of a free Japan, for a Knight of Britannia. He had borne the name 'traitor' as the consequence of many of his choices, and maybe he'd earned it justly. But he was loyal to a mixture of ideals and persons and systems, and so he was willing to bestow his loyalty where he thought best, not where others expected him to. He believed in goodness and protecting people. Not Gino's Britannia, nor even Kallen's Japan. The mask of Zero would allow him to pursue that justice without his loyalties being called into question, for truly, what system had Zero ever proclaimed allegiance to? But he would not be fighting for the ulterior motives that had driven Lelouch, so he would be free to pursue that justice in truth, by more honorable methods than the rebel had used. Zero, the masked vigilante, would be accepted by the system, working within it. Still a rogue element, not directly in the chain of command, but legitimate, as legal as the police. Suzaku smiled in the confining darkness. He couldn't claim to have won; Zero had taken his very life from him. But it didn't feel like losing, either.

It was Lelouch, in full Imperial regalia, who opened the coffin on the other end (after a few tries). "Arise, Knight of Justice!" he proclaimed. Suzaku blinked away the shadows in his eyes at the sudden brightness, and sat up, glad to be able to move around and breathe freely. After Narita, there was a lot of talk about people being buried alive; it was not a fate he would wish on anyone.

Lelouch had already turned away from him, filling him in on decisions made during transport. "I've begun to plan your funeral. It will be a grand affair, very Britannian, broadcast live internationally, with as many mourners as you'd like. Is there anyone in particular you want to be there? I can command them to be suitably broken up over it...."

He turned back at the sound of laughter. Suzaku had gotten out of the coffin. "Lelouch, you can drop the demon emperor act here, you know."

Lelouch just blinked at him. Suzaku tried to stop his laughter, but was not entirely successful. "I...I have to wear that mask everywhere. It might take me some time to let it go, even here," Lelouch said defensively.

"Well, take your time, _your majesty._" The title was given with more sarcasm than Suzaku had ever used before.

"What's with that tone?" Lelouch asked, amused.

"Your Knight of Zero may have been quite the loyal and devoted subject, as you will no doubt mention at the funeral, but Zero doesn't recognize you as rightful Emperor of Britannia. In case you were unclear on that point."

Lelouch smirked back. "I am accustomed to determining Zero's public stances. I don't intend to stop doing so now."

"Good, because I'm not sure I quite have the hang of it yet." While wearing a mask was an art Lelouch had practiced over years of hiding his true self, Suzaku was mostly unaccustomed to it. When he hid his true self, he wore a mask that even he believed in. "So, who should be rightful heir to the throne, once we get rid of this rascal of an usurper?"

"Nunnally," Lelouch said, and with that one word, his old self came through and his masks dropped. "Schneizel was kind enough to set that in motion earlier. I think I can convince my surviving siblings to go along with it."

"I'll bet you can." Suzaku sighed. "It might be hard to pull off Zero's miracles without your geass. I'm afraid I'm going to ruin your reputation."

"You needn't worry about that; both of our reputations will be thoroughly ruined before you begin. Zero is a symbol for the people to rally behind, to give them hope. If you accomplish that, it doesn't matter how. You're going to begin by returning from the dead; what greater miracle is there than that?"

At that moment, C.C. walked into the room. "We've tracked down the remnants of the Toromo Agency with the help of Schneizel's contacts," she informed Lelouch. "If there's any outstanding FLEIJA's or FLEIJA technology, they should surface soon."

"Good. C.C., let me introduce you to the new Zero," he said, gesturing towards Suzaku.

"At your service," Suzaku said, bowing towards her with what he hoped was enough flourish to imitate Zero.

C.C. frowned at him. "I'm not convinced," she said skeptically. "Since when does Zero wear casual Japanese clothing?"

Suzaku looked down at himself. He wasn't exactly dressed as a knight at the moment. "Well, if I have to wear that outfit for the rest of my life, I should at least get to wear this now, right? Besides, Zero is Japanese at heart. Why he dresses like a Britannian prince is beyond me." Lelouch looked a bit startled by that assessment.

"It's not just the clothing," C.C. said shaking her head. "Zero is more dramatic, always flinging his arms about and striking poses. I think you need more practice."

"Maybe Zero can calm down a bit in his old age?"

"No, no, no. He needs to maintain a larger-than-life presence," Lelouch insisted. "C.C. knows how to impersonate me; she can teach you." He looked between them. "Maybe it would be better if you do that when I'm not here, though." If he were worried about his ego getting carried away in his role as absolute ruler, he could rely on these two to keep him in his place.

* * *

_EPIC Author's Note: Sorry, I couldn't help it. The title of this chapter is adapted from a line of a poem by e.e. cummings: _

Buffalo Bill's

defunct

who used to

ride a watersmooth-silver

stallion

and break onetwothreefourfive pigeonsjustlikethat

Jesus

he was a handsome man

and what i want to know is

how do you like your blueeyed boy

Mister Death

_The true formatting of the poem won't translate here, so if you're interested, just search "ee cummings Buffalo Bill" and you'll see how it's supposed to look. It kinda fits Suzaku in a way, I guess, but I just like the last line. It was the first ee cummings poem i was ever exposed to, as my father misquoted a portion of it from memories of when he'd studied it in school. I didn't even know it was about Buffalo Bill Cody until I looked it up just now ;)._

_Oh, and if you're curious about how I remember my Dad reciting it, it came out as:_

One-two-three-four-five-six Pigeons, right in a row.

Jesus, he was a handsome man.

How do you like my blue-eyed son, Mr. Death?

_I find it funny what sticks and what doesn't, and certainly can appreciate how some nursery rhymes devolve into meaningless nonsense eventually when being passed on by oral tradition. Hmmm, I didn't mean to write a tome on this poem, which is entirely irrelevant to the story, but it was fun to share! (And I'll admit that the Author's Note was the first part of this chapter I typed :P It came out a little more light-hearted than I expected.) There should be another in this series, but right now, it's all over the place so that even I don't know what it's about. And it's already written, so I think I'll have to do some editing.  
_


	5. Vigil

_Vigil_

_The night before Zero Requiem.  
_

Suzaku looked up when the door opened and Lelouch walked in. Few people had the code to this room, since his continued existence was still a secret; only Lelouch, C.C. and Jeremiah Gottwald. None of them bothered knocking, though Lord Jeremiah made a habit of announcing his presence before bursting in to drag Suzaku off for sparring practice. The roles had been reversed. Once, it had been Lelouch who was confined, with no one but Suzaku permitted to visit him. He'd guarded his prisoner jealously, paranoid that he would use geass to escape if anyone else were to enter his cell. Suzaku's accommodations were more comfortable, and his movement less restricted, but still, the parallel did not escape him.

It was just Lelouch, though. He looked behind the Emperor for his ever-present shadow, a question on his face.

"I've dismissed C.C.," Lelouch said.

"But…I thought…."

"Her part in this has come to an end, and she did not wish to witness tomorrow's events. Everything is in place."

Suzaku frowned. Had Lelouch killed her? C.C. had said what she wanted was to die…but that she could not. Whatever she wanted from Lelouch, he had apparently given it to her, if she'd left.

He had accepted the plan from the beginning, even not knowing that part of it, but that didn't mean he had to like it. He _did_ wish to avenge Euphy, of course, but…that was not his motivation any more. He was protecting Euphy's dream. He wanted to atone for detonating that first FLEIJA, but since when did one atone by becoming executioner? The last few months had made this entire situation more… complicated.

"Now is not the time for second thoughts," Lelouch chided him. Apparently, his face betrayed his doubts.

Suzaku shook his head. "No. I would not allow anyone to stand in the way of this dream we've shared. I will do it."

"Good," Lelouch said in approval. "I've brought you this."

He held out the sword he'd used to usher in the final battle. They'd planned the final spectacle together, and were agreed that Zero should not use a gun for his heroic triumph.

Suzaku took it solemnly. He thought it fitting that Lelouch should select the instrument of his own destruction. It was like him to have every detail planned. But despite his resolve, one last time, he tried to escape tomorrow's ordeal.

"If there is anything more that needs to be done, we can postpone the executions…."

Lelouch shook his head with a smile. "There is always more to be done, but I am finished. I could not maintain appearances for much longer, anyway. Some of my dire threats would appear empty if I make no move to follow through on them. I leave the world in your capable hands."

Suzaku nodded in acceptance. "So…any last requests?" He said the words lightly, but he meant them.

Lelouch hesitated, then shook his head. "No."

"Really?" Suzaku asked, not convinced. Lelouch had come by for some reason beyond giving him that monstrosity of a sword.

Lelouch turned his back and looked away. "I'm the Emperor; I can command anything I might want," he said quietly.

"No masks now. What is it?" Suzaku asked.

Lelouch looked at him sharply. "If you dislike masks…."

"I'll have the rest of my life to get used to it," Suzaku reassured him. "But you deserve one night of honesty before…" his voice trailed off. It was still hard to _say_ it. _Before I kill you tomorrow morning._

Lelouch smiled, but it was not his customary smirk; his eyes were sad. "Do you also wish for one last night of honesty?"

Suzaku was thrown; he should have known Lelouch would turn this back on him. He did not smile back. "I will miss you, Lelouch. I know no one else will be able to remember what you are doing here, but I will not forget at least." He paused. "But I got into this on my own – it would be absurd for you to pity me my role."

He nodded. "Very well. But the same goes for me. You are all the legacy I could have hoped for. The people would soon have forgotten, even if they knew. What is one more life in this, after all?"

"I will tell Nunnally. She at least should know the truth."

"I don't suppose I can stop you." Lelouch had a funny look on his face, but he didn't sound upset. "I saw her today."

Suzaku grimaced. That was the hardest part in all of this. Being trapped in this room _would_ have been the worst, but they'd found a way to arrange for him to privately visit other parts of the Imperial complex when they weren't in transit. It helped that foot soldiers regularly wore helmets that obscured the face. Lelouch might not understand his restlessness, but he certainly recognized it and sent Jeremiah over to do something about it. No, the worst was that Lelouch had insisted Nunnally not be brought into the plan, that she must be a prisoner until the end. Which meant…he could never show his true face to her. He had to taunt and belittle her until the end, or ignore her altogether. It had been a long two months. Lelouch seldom spoke of her, but that was fooling no one. Suzaku had yet to see the girl with her eyes open, but he would get the chance tomorrow. He couldn't understand why Lelouch insisted on ruining their last moments together.

"I cooked one last meal for her and told her that she would be empress." Suzaku didn't want to know any more about that conversation. Lelouch had mastered the art of giving speeches that were a mix of lies and misleading truths. He was thinner than ever, the stress of his job eating away at him. When Suzaku or C.C. chastised him for not taking care of himself, he joked that he didn't need his health to hold out much longer. C.C. said she even caught him dissolving into laughter while flossing his teeth.

"It…it will be quick," he blurted out unnecessarily, hefting the sword in his hand to test its weight. "I've killed a lot of people, Lelouch, and I've gotten better at it…"

"You are an admirable assassin, aren't you? But more than that, I hope, Suzaku." Lelouch made a motion towards the door, as if to leave, but with the same strange hesitancy from before.

"Wait, Lelouch. You're welcome to stay. I'm not going to sleep tonight anyway."

He stilled and hung his head. "You've caught me. I didn't want to spend my last evening alone, and that's the one thing I haven't used geass for yet. What is the point of forced companionship?"

"You really are a romantic after all, aren't you?"

"I didn't mean -!"

Suzaku laughed at him. "I know, I know! I just had to tease you. You're so uptight, Lelouch." He put the sword away, out of sight. "But let's forget all of that. For tonight, it will be as if we're ten again, with Nunnally asleep in the next room and no war with Britannia…"

Lelouch shook his head. "No, I can't do that, Suzaku. I can't get lost in memories now, or I won't be any better than the last Emperor. Still…if we're being honest, we aren't going to forget everything that has happened in the eight years since, are we?"

"I guess you're right, as always." Suzaku sighed. "You always win me over in the end, don't you? But I'm offering as a friend."

"So many people have died to make this real. I'm just one more."

Suzaku shook his head. "Please, let's not talk about it any more."

"It's not like you to lose your nerve."

"I won't. I am prepared, and ever since our agreement, I have known that on that day, I would kill you without hesitation, if you survived this crazy scheme." He'd been prepared to kill him in the beginning, after all. But…things had changed; this cold-blooded calculation was much more difficult for him. After living is such close proximity and working _together_ for the past few months, it was hard to see Lelouch as a monster deserving of death. Even if he was trying so hard to cultivate that image with the rest of the world. "But the time is not here yet. Tell me…tell me about something else. About Nunnally. About Ashford Academy. Even about being Zero."

Lelouch, sitting across from him, let his hands rest idly on his knees and hung his head. "Go easy on me! I'm the one who's dying tomorrow."

"Alright, I'll go first." It did seem a bit strange that Lelouch of all people would want to spend his last night alive being honest. But then, even an inveterate liar could crave honesty from others. "I was afraid of Nunnally the first time I met her."

Lelouch looked up in surprise. "Afraid? Why?" He'd known Suzaku had been startled by Nunnally's frailty, but he had not recognized fear in the brash boy's reaction.

"I'd never met someone so…vulnerable. She made me very uncomfortable. I had always thought that you had to be strong, and had never considered the necessity of trusting people…but she _had_ to trust even me, a stranger who beat up her big brother…"

"Hey! I thought we weren't reliving ancient history tonight."

"Sorry. But I've been thinking, that that is what the Zero Requiem is about, too – it's about trusting strangers, even ones who have been involved in wars in the past. I don't think you would have thought it up, if it hadn't been for knowing Nunnally so well."

Lelouch looked slightly pained by this insight. "So what made you change your mind?"

"Hmm?"

"About Nunnally."

Suzaku smiled. "Her laugh. Once I realized she wasn't scared of me, it seemed silly to be scared of her. And she is…kind. I hadn't met a little kid who was so unassuming."

"She's growing up," Lelouch pointed out.

"Yeah. I don't think they expected her to be any more than a figurehead as viceroy, but she held her own. People just _want_ to help her."

"She came up with a Requiem of her own, you know."

Suzaku looked at him in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"The Damocles. She thought it could be a symbol of power to be destroyed, and felt certain that by challenging the whole world, Schneizel was bringing about his own doom."

"I wonder if that would have worked?" Suzaku mused. "I mean, if we weren't here to stop him."

"Unlikely. It would have taken a long time before anyone would be able to muster the military might to challenge him once he achieved orbit. But if you can build one, you can always build another, so eventually…."

Suzaku nodded. "It would have been destroyed, but nothing would have changed. It helps if the source of all evil really is irreplaceable. There'll never be another one of you." He smiled and waved a hand. He used Zero's gestures unconsciously now, after practicing for two months. "But more than that, people won't take their freedom for granted so quickly."

"I suppose I should be nervous about leaving behind such a power vacuum," Lelouch said with a frown. "The plan _should_ hold up, but…"

"What's this? Doubts from our mastermind and supreme ruler?" Suzaku had insisted it was necessary for him to study Zero's former plans if he were to successfully impersonate him and have a smooth transition. Lelouch had very reluctantly agreed, but only shared a portion of the files with his friend. In studying them, Suzaku had gained a greater respect for just how Lelouch had pulled off some of his stunts.

"I won't be here to oversee it. This power vacuum should be enough to implode Britannia, after all. There are often unforeseen obstacles…."

"At least I won't be one of them this time." There had been a good deal of frustrated griping about the Lancelot in the early mission reports.

"No, but Cornelia has me…concerned." He wasn't going to say worried. Lelouch never had problems, merely difficulties to be overcome.

"I'm sure she'll surface after tomorrow. She's probably still in Japan, and just waiting until…"

Lelouch shook his head. "Don't underestimate her. She must _not_ be allowed to rule. She loved Euphy, but never understood her. She only knows how to fight and subdue, not govern. But you don't want her as an opponent."

"She's not all bad, you know…"

"She looked up to Schneizel...and my mother," Lelouch said, giving him a pointed look. "She was old enough to know better."

"Hey, from what I've heard, your mother was a wonderful pilot. The older Knights all looked up to her."

"You're missing the point, Suzaku."

"No, no, I understand it fully. And you can stop pretending that this has anything to do with ancient history; you're just mad at her for supporting Schneizel when he used Nunnally against us."

"Us?" Lelouch snorted. "She had a little sister; she should have known better."

"I can remind her that she and Schneizel both supported Nunnally's bid for the throne, and then give her plenty of work to keep her busy and out of the way," Suzaku said, backing down. Now was not the time to remind Lelouch that he was incredibly self-centered.; even if he had cast himself as a sacrificial martyr.

Lelouch's mouth twitched in part of a smile. "Of course. I'm sure you'll do fine." He paused for a moment, hesitating. "I am curious, though. At what point did you decide Britannia was too corrupt?"

Suzaku shook his head with a small smile. "You still don't get it, do you? I've disapproved of them since…forever. I _hated _ Britannia when I met you, don't you remember? It wasn't until the war that I understood how bad they really were, I guess, but even becoming friends with you turned me against them that much more. You weren't exactly glowing in your evaluations of them, back then."

"No, I know that. I remember. But when we next met, you were working for them, willing to die for them…"

"I was willing to die for the people of Japan," Suzaku said quietly. He remembered the day they'd been reunited, and he thought he would die protecting Lelouch. "I…I owed them that much, after all. I followed the rules; that doesn't mean I loved Britannia. I wanted...peace. This gentler world of Nunnally's."

"But when did it become too much? When did you know you were just a tool to them?" Lelouch pressed. He really wanted to know.

Suzaku hesitated, and looked away. "I suppose I always felt used. I didn't mind, if I could accomplish some good. But it was…I was obedient, but never loyal. I was never like Gino or the others. I have never loved Britannia. When your father used geass on you, to erase your memory of Nunnally; that was just…too much."

"You held me down while he did it!" Lelouch seethed.

"I thought that stopping you was necessary. I was…somewhat okay…with him letting you live like that. But…I hated you both for using that corrupt power."

"I don't know that I like knowing the truth, this time."

"All it means was that while I accepted the position he granted me, he never had my loyalty. And Lelouch…you of all people can't really complain about having geass used on you."

"True," Lelouch admitted. "I…I did the same to Shirley. I didn't mean to hurt her; I was trying to save her, but…."

"We both have a lot to atone for. I don't suppose you're going to tell me what happened before Euphemia's massacre?" That file was conspicuously absent from the ones Suzaku had been given, and Lelouch had deftly avoided the topic whenever Suzaku tried to bring it up.

Lelouch's face shut down into a complete mask. "No," he said succinctly. "You know that I could become my father, right? It would be so easy for me to take this dictatorship seriously, to try to shape the whole world to my will…earnestly. To…not give up tomorrow."

"I know," Suzaku whispered. "That temptation is always there. Who but Zero could oppose you?"

"So that's why you're committed to this. If you lose your nerve now, I become the monster the world thinks I am?"

Suzaku nodded. "The mask you wear is a lot to ask of anyone. I've seen how much these few months have worn on you…." Still, he was obviously trying to convince himself.

Seeing this, Lelouch leaned back in his chair. "I truly am a horrible person, Suzaku. I do unspeakable things to the people I love the most. The world really will be better off without me around."

"That's not fair…"

"Isn't it?" Lelouch interrupted him, sitting up. "I know you have a complex about saving people and wish to atone through a sacrificial death. So what do I do? Make you kill a friend and keep on living. You who crave honesty and justice must hide your face behind a mask after today. My sister Nunnally wanted a kind world…where she could live with me and…Euphy. The one thing she wanted I am denying her. Kallen, Shirley…I've…betrayed all my friends. No, I…."

"Stop it, Lelouch. I know there is a sea of blood behind both of us, and you don't have to be proud of everything you've done. But that doesn't mean you didn't try to do better. I'm not saying I approve, but doing nothing isn't the answer, either. Sometimes…sometimes we hurt the people we love whether we mean to or not. It's up to them to decide whether or not they still love us. _You_ don't get to decide that you weren't worth it."

For once, Lelouch didn't have a snappy comeback.

"You're worth it," Suzaku said quietly, and looked away. It wasn't until later, after Lelouch was dead, that he realized that was all the answer he was likely to get concerning what had happened with Euphemia.

Lelouch looked away. "It was stupid to think I could be honest, even now. Even with you. All I am is a liar, Suzaku."

"I know," Suzaku said quietly. "The first words I ever heard you say were a lie."

"That was different!" he said defensively, not having to think very hard to remember why he would have been lying the first time they met.

"I know. That was for Nunnally's sake. You were trying to make the harsh world you'd been forced into gentler…for her. Telling her it was nice when it was anything but. Shielding her from unpleasant truths. I didn't understand then, why you did it. But I did see your lies become truth, as the two of you made a home there. That is the power of your lies – you don't let them stay lies. You make them real, in time." He paused. "Well, some of them, anyway."

"Power, eh?" Lelouch shook his head. "I've had almost enough of that, I think."

Suzaku realized that Lelouch wasn't scared to die, but that relinquishing his plans, his position…that was what was eating him up. Letting someone else be in charge never sat well with him. And tomorrow…Suzaku was the one who would have all the power.

Suzaku stood up suddenly, and found himself looking down on Lelouch. Lelouch was not as indolently comfortable as usual, his face not graced with a smirk. He was not radiating the aura of a man who controlled the whole world.

Suzaku dropped to one knee and bowed his head. "Command me, my Lord," he said, then looked up at Lelouch with all the loyalty and trust he could put on his face. If he could not give him one last night of honesty, this gift would have to do.

"Kill me tomorrow," Lelouch said, the familiar smirk coming back onto his face. "Become Zero. Make the lie I told the world into a reality. Protect Nunnally."

"Yes, your Majesty!" Suzaku said in reply. He stood, and offered a hand to Lelouch, pulling him up into a hug. "Farewell, Lelouch," he said quietly, and then let his oldest friend go.

"Good night, Suzaku. You will live for both of us."

Suzaku waited to cry until after Lelouch had left.

* * *

_Author's Note: Well, that was longer than I wanted, but neither of them wanted to cut the evening short. I found I was not satisfied with how this turned out, so there will be two more to wrap it all up. And then it really will be finished. Really. _


	6. Empress Nunnally

_Empress Nunnally_

_The King is Dead; Long Live The King._

_Post-Requiem Suzaku. It seemed a shame not to let Nunnally make an appearance and speak for herself. _

"Today, you will be meeting with Chairwoman Kaguya Sumeragi of the UFN to discuss Britannia's future role in the organization. You will need to…"

Nunnally sighed. "I know. I will need to apologize for Lelouch's actions, and make gestures of Britannia's goodwill. We can afford to abstain from participation and downgrade our status to observer until the reorganization of the colonies and areas is finalized, right?"

Zero nodded. "Yes, Your Majesty."

They were in a new garden since they were the guests, the visitors, here. But Nunnally had insisted on coming outside to see it first, before getting cooped up in meeting rooms for the rest of the day. It was a pleasant place in the cool of the early morning, and refreshing after traveling. Or at least, it was to the young Empress; Zero didn't seem to mind one way or the other.

"Are these…are these meetings getting to be too much?" he asked tentatively. He still was not sure what his role was to her. He wanted to look after her, but they were both more comfortable with the official interactions. It made him uncharacteristically shy around her sometimes. Too much had changed for him to just resume their childhood friendship. Dancing around their shared grief over Lelouch wasn't making things any easier, but his guilt got in the way.

She shook her head and smiled sadly. "Not at all. I just…Lelouch never apologized or thanked anyone else at all. He was always gentle to _me_, but I know he didn't show that face to others. And now I have to go in his place. It's just like him, to leave what he didn't like to someone else, isn't it?"

A dry chuckle echoed inside Zero's mask. "Yes, I suppose it is." Though, in truth, Lelouch had seldom entrusted anything important to others. He wasn't about to tell Nunnally she should feel flattered on that account.

"He never really wanted to rule Britannia, did he?" she asked.

"No," Zero said in surprise. He should have known she would know her own brother that well, at least. "He only became emperor as a means to an end. He had always hoped that someone else would rule." He suspected that the original plan had called for a puppet-Schneizel in the role of 100th emperor, before they'd discovered that Nunnally had survived. "But his hatred of the old Britannia, where you two grew up – that was real. He honestly did want to change things. You have to understand, Lelouch…he planned for the future. The day to day of governance drove him insane."

"I guess he liked being Zero a lot better, then."

Zero nodded. "Yes. He…he found that role a little harder to relinquish. But maybe only because he held it for so much longer."

Nunnally tilted her head to look up at the mask, and smiled. "You are his heir then, not me."

"We both are," Zero reassured her. "He truly did wish to change the world for your sake, Nunnally."

She sighed again. "Why couldn't he understand that I didn't want the world to change so much? I didn't need to rule Britannia to be happy!" Her grief most often expressed itself as a restless melancholy, but only in private. She was strong in public, and gave no sign that she mourned her brother's death. The rest of today would be public, which might explain her need for this retreat to the garden before facing it.

"You are gentle, like…Euphy. You wouldn't force things on other people," he said softly. "But are you saying you wouldn't want them to have the opportunity to build a less oppressive world?"

Nunnally shook her head. "No, of course not. I guess I'm just selfish. I wanted to live with my big brother and Euphy and you and all be happy. And now…"

"It's not a selfish wish," Zero assured her. "Everyone wishes to be with the ones they love. Remembering that can only help you to be a better Empress." He knew she had her doubts about being able to fill that role, but she could hardly be worse than the last two, right?

"You were Euphy's knight, then Lelouch's, and now mine. Do you…?" she hesitated, not knowing how to finish her question without offending him.

Zero took a few steps away from her. "Sometimes…we can't protect the people we love. Only their ideals. I…cannot promise, Empress Nunnally, that I will be any more successful in guarding your life. I can only promise to remain by your side. I have little honor, though. In the end, I will save my own life at your expense, and there is nothing I can do to avoid that. Your brother instructed me to 'live on'…and I cannot break his command, even now."

"Would that he had followed that himself," she said.

He returned to her side. "He…didn't know."

"What?" she asked sharply, knowing he was about to tell her something unpleasant.

"When he planned the Zero Requiem, he didn't know you were alive. He thought he had nothing left to live for, that I had killed you in that blast. That is why the plan was for him to die at the hands of your murderer. By the time we found out…."

"It was too late to go back," she finished. Finally, she understood. Lelouch hadn't meant to leave her here all alone; he'd thought he was following her into death. She started crying.

He knelt beside her and held her hands in his. Seeing her upset was painful to him, but he was grateful that she did not seem to hold Lelouch's death against him. And he wanted her to know the truth of how much her brother had loved her. When he looked down on her sobbing, holding a bloody sword, he finally understood what it meant to be Zero. Zero stood proudly, his mask hiding the look of shocked horror on his face as Nunnally screamed for Lelouch to open his eyes. He thought, in that moment, that she would hate him forever, and that he would have to break one of his last promises to Lelouch. Surely he couldn't look after her if she couldn't stand the sight of him? But…she recognized who the master of that plan had been. Despite her own devastating loss, she found room to be kind to him…and allowed him to offer comfort to her.

"Nunnally…he trusted you with the world," Zero said quietly. "So do I."

"I lost him before, a long time ago," she said, blinking the tears from her eyes. "I just hoped he was out there somewhere, thinking of me and looking out for me. Now I know he's gone. But he's in my heart, so I guess in a way, he's looking out for me as much as ever."

Zero nodded. One thing he had no doubts about whatsoever was that Lelouch would continue to look out for Nunnally; something as simple as death couldn't stop that. "We were both…so angry…when we made that plan. Destroying all that was evil in the world, and making each other pay a steep price in the bargain – that was the only way we could think. We wanted to punish ourselves, and the world that had gone mad. But now…now there is another path forward."

Nunnally looked down at the masked man kneeling before her, and adopted the Imperial air that was her birthright. "I'm going to make a different world. One where people don't feel the need to keep secrets and act out of fear, but where we can discuss openly what is best. That way, there will not be such unfortunate mistakes. One person alone should not determine the future of the world; we all should walk into that future together. Hatred can't drive out hatred; only love can do that." Her eyes searched the mask, learning very little…but her hands clasped his hands, and told her all she needed to know. "Suzaku, will you help me to build such a world?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," he said, bowing his head and bringing his right hand to his chest, while leaving the left in her lap.

"Not like that," she chided him, and for a moment, he was reminded of another Princess. That was another surprise, but he would not be embarrassed if she didn't seem to notice. He pressed his lips together. He'd been shocked that he'd _noticed _her on that day, too. He was busy dodging bullets, getting ready to skewer her brother, but when he'd landed in front of her on the float, in that brief moment he'd _looked._ True, he was shocked to see her eyes wide open, for the first time ever. But it wasn't just her eyes he'd looked at. Afterward, he'd decided to blame it on the outfit, and wondered what the hell Lelouch was thinking, dressing his own sister like that and parading her in public, on _television_. Nunnally was too young, and he was going to keep reminding himself of that for as long as necessary.

He raised his hand to her face and lightly brushed the tears from her cheek with his gloved hand. "Yes, Nunnally, I will help you to work towards that goal. But you may only use that name in private. In public, I will remain Zero, the Knight of Justice."

"Well then, Zero, my knight, it's been awhile since I've seen Lady Kaguya. What can you tell me about her?" She released his left hand, allowing him to stand. The transition to the present was clear; they had things to do today, and Lelouch was not there to play a role in any of them, even if his ghost would be a heavy presence in the room.

"She is a very formidable woman," he said immediately, reflecting that he liked hearing Nunnally say _'my knight' _– there was something much more affectionate and much less possessive in her voice than in hearing her brother say that.

"She must be…the only family you have left," Nunnally said sadly.

Zero started. "I…I don't think of her like that. She is my cousin, though, so…yes."

"She always seemed older than me, like she was on par with you and my brother. It surprised me to learn we were the same age."

"She's a strong person, Nunnally, and committed to a free Japan. She's a good leader for the UFN. I hope you'll be able to convince her of your sincere intentions, but remember, she's been betrayed, so she may be haughty and suspicious. Don't push for too much in this first meeting. If we can prevent them from kicking Britannia out of the UFN altogether, that will be enough, for now."

"Yes, I understand, Lelouch took Kaguya and the others hostage, he forcefully took control of their organization...."

Zero shook his head. "It's more than that. Zero was a symbol she believed in. Lelouch didn't just mistreat the UFN, he betrayed her…personally." He remembered being reunited with Kaguya in China, in the Vermillion Forbidden City and how…proud…she was to be accompanied by Zero. Suddenly, he started. "Shit!" he swore.

"What, what's wrong?" Nunnally asked concerned.

"I…I might have to leave you to this meeting alone…I…"

"Zero, what's wrong?" she asked again.

"That woman is going to kill me," he muttered.

"Why, what did you do to her?"

"It wasn't me," he said clenching his fist, starting to pace back and forth distractedly. Realizing he'd have to explain his outburst, he elaborated. "She considered Zero to be her…husband. That's what the other Knights told me."

"But I thought my brother was promised to C.C.?" Nunnally asked innocently.

"Lelouch wasn't engaged to anyone," Zero said dismissively. "But I have to figure out how I'm going to deal with Kaguya's expectations before I face her."

"It's simple, really. Weren't you engaged to her when you were children?" Nunnally could say anything innocently, he was convinced.

"Suzaku Kururugi is dead. No one remembers that."

"Well, _I_ do, silly! That's why you said you couldn't marry me, don't you remember?"

"Yeah, I remember. I remember you insisting that you wanted to marry your brother when you grew up, too," he teased her, wincing a bit when he realized that maybe that wasn't funny any more. "We aren't children; our parents are all dead." And so was Lelouch. Zero despaired; he made a terrible diplomat.

"But Kaguya is the only family you have left, just as Cornelia, Schneizel and Charlemagne are my only relatives," Nunnally said gravely, not chastising him for his error.

"True. If we can't make peace or even talk within our own families, how can we expect the world to be any different?" He took a deep breath. "I'll face her." He looked down at Nunnally sternly. "But I want you to protect _me_ this time."

She giggled. "Yes, Zero."

* * *

_Author's Note: I don't suppose _all_ the Imperial siblings were in Pendragon when it was hit with FLEIJA…but certainly many of them were. Nunnally has fewer relatives left than she should, though probably more than I've given her. Nunnally's words about hatred and love were originally spoken by Martin Luther King, Jr.. Note the subtle distinction between her parents' "world without lies" and her "world where no one will need to lie." Lelouch didn't get very far in recreating the world, and while I'm sure Suzaku is following a game plan, I imagine he was largely leaving it up to Nunnally to make her own plans. An unusual amount of trust, considering this is Lelouch, but then...it is also Nunnally. As for childhood engagements – we know Euphy and Nunnally both wanted to marry Lelouch as very young girls. And (according to the Sound Dramas) when Suzaku found out that the Japanese families wanted a political marriage with Nunnally, he offered himself – an offer his father turned down, because he was already spoken for; it's my assumption that his intended was Kaguya. How Lelouch got that political marriage called off is a mystery to me. Well, this is the end. The Knight of Zero has become Zero, with all that implies. But there will be one more part…Lelouch refuses to be silent from beyond the grave, it seems. _

* * *


	7. The Knight's Last Night

The Knight's Last Night

_Lelouch plans Nunnally's Happily Ever After._

_Set on the evening after the battle on the Damocles, so immediately before Chapter 4. Unlike the others, this is *not* from Suzaku's POV. In fact, he's not even conscious...._

"Suzaku?" Lelouch asked into the dim room. No response. Suzaku had been quiet for a suspiciously long time. Lelouch propped himself up from his half-inclined position to look over at the couch where Suzaku had sprawled out earlier. The boy was asleep. He'd been exhausted after the battle, but insisted on celebrating their victory. Lelouch was exhausted, too. Running all over the Damocles trying to outsmart Schneizel and corner Nunnally at the end of the battle had been no mean feat for him. But this victory was not numbly intoxicating; it had made his mind sharper, more keenly alert. The tantalizing prospect of endgame was no time to get bored.

Unlike his knight, who was dead to the world.

He did not smirk, though. Suzaku _was_. Dead. To the world. One more piece slipped into place. The other was his sister, locked away in a cell, eyes filled with despair for failing to stop him. He'd rubbed Schneizel's failure in her face hoping to assuage her bruised ego, but it hadn't seemed to help. She was still devastated and shell-shocked. This was a new form of mind game, where he put a sneer on his face to hide his kind intentions from Nunnally. It felt...weird. He was so used to putting on the brave face, the kind voice, to disguise the harsh world. Shielding his sister now that she was not blind was...different. But he only had a short time left to prepare her for her role in the new world, and he couldn't tell her what that was.

He'd always planned to do this for Nunnally. But, well...she was dead. So Zero Requiem was about something else. A memorial to her, in a way. Now that she needed to live in that future.... He looked back at Suzaku, sleeping with one arm tucked across his stomach and the other hand hanging limply off the edge of the couch, face slack. He couldn't blame him for succumbing to the painkillers, after all, but he did look rather trusting laid out like that. "Do you have any idea what I'm going to do with you?" he murmured. The original plan had called for his own death, of course, as a way of expunging himself from this world. But it was also designed to torture Suzaku, as payment for his betrayal, for killing Nunnally, for being always in the way and infuriatingly _Suzaku_.

Now, that would no longer do.

Just as when they were children, he altered everything to suit Suzaku. The secret code they used then was as complex as Suzaku could remember, not as complicated as Lelouch could devise. When he had arrived in Japan, vowing that no one else would be allowed to so much as _touch_ Nunnally, that vow had been quickly altered to 'no one else, other than Suzaku.' When Suzaku had insisted that the Zero Requiem move forward, despite Nunnally's obvious survival, something had shifted. A much older plan had been revived.

When he could no longer stay by Nunnally's side, Suzaku would be there.

Not just as her protector, to keep her alive and out of harm's way. Jeremiah could have done that. No, she would need someone to fill the void. Lelouch could see how much it was hurting her to see him this way, how much she missed the brother she had lost. He needed to give her someone to take his place. And the only one Nunnally had loved like _that_ was Suzaku.

So, she would have him.

Lelouch had always intended to gift-wrap his friend for her. Well, someday. She had been too young, of course. Lelouch's natural inclination was to not let any male _near_ her. Before Euphy returned to their lives, anyway. He frowned. He could never shake the feeling that what had happened to her had been intentional. He'd..._hated_ Euphy, and not just for the Special Zone and what that one artless act would cost him. Nunnally hadn't been jealous. Of course not; she loved Euphy, and knew that no boy would find a blind girl in a wheelchair as attractive as someone who could look _back _with sparkling eyes, who could twirl about and dance. Especially not when she was only fourteen and Euphy was all grown up. But Lelouch was more than prepared to be offended (and insanely jealous) on Nunnally's behalf. How dare she? How dare she waltz in and steal Suzaku after just meeting him? There wasn't anything Lelouch wouldn't do for his sister...including that massacre. So even as his rational mind capitulated and he shook hands with Euphy, one part of him was still out for blood. He just hadn't known...but his true colors were those of a demon, after all.

He could never bring himself to talk to Suzaku about this, because he was afraid of what would come out. So Euphemia's name came up in reverence only, and Lelouch avoided any questions about the massacre. It was necessary, anyway, for Suzaku to maintain the requisite righteous indignation to carry through with his role as noble assassin. But he knew that some part of him was ruthless, willing to conjure up the evils that his plan called for. The mask of the demon emperor - this, too, was Lelouch. Maybe he really did deserve the death he'd planned for himself. Or maybe it had been an accident after all. He honestly didn't know anymore. It had certainly shocked the hell out of him, so if some deep, dark part of his psyche planned it, he was none the wiser.

Unlike this time, when his eyes were fully open.

He knew Suzaku very well. True, they'd both changed a lot in their years apart. When they'd been reunited, they'd both been a bit surprised, wary even, wondering what if anything was left of the boys they remembered from before the war. They'd grown up, and he hadn't understood at first what the military had done to his old friend. Some changes, such as Suzaku's ridiculous willingness to wear anything if you called it a 'uniform,' were obvious. Others, such as his more guarded smile and softer words, took longer for Lelouch to decipher. But in the end...he knew Suzaku Kururugi very, very well. This past month of working closely together as collaborators had been...illuminating. Once, he may have been anxious about Suzaku learning too much about him in turn, but his time was limited now, and such concerns were no longer important.

Suzaku could not resist a damsel in distress. He enjoyed saving people. So, unfortunately for Nunnally, she would have to be in need of rescuing. He'd have to keep them away from each other until the end, and make sure Nunnally wasn't dressed in one of her demure princess dresses. An outfit that screamed "Save me!"...and reminded Suzaku that she wasn't a little girl any more. He had some ideas for that, and it would fit his public image well. He wondered what sort of older brother he was, to come up with such things. But it was all for her sake.

He'd wanted to destroy Suzaku, crush him for what he'd done, but now he had to plan his future as well. Besides, destroying him felt petty now. There was no one else he could trust to look after Nunnally. Sayoko would, if he asked, of course, but Nunnally was outgrowing a nursemaid. Certainly not Schneizel. Even tamed, he was still ruthless. And Nunnally seemed rather cool towards their older brother, despite the fawning she'd doubtless received from him. Lelouch was pleased she saw through that. Jeremiah...would certainly be loyal to Marianne's daughter. But he'd learned his lesson with Rolo - assassins make bad protectors. He was not going to leave Nunnally in the hands of an overeager half-crazed cyborg, no matter how devoted. Jeremiah had earned a more peaceful future, anyway. He need not play a role in the new world. Lelouch wasn't going to drop him; he would task Jeremiah with all the things he wanted to do, but wouldn't be around to carry out himself. A benign retirement, disguised as a backup plan.

But he had no intention of playing fair.

He knew that once Suzaku got past mourning for Euphy, he'd notice other girls. There was no guarantee that Nunnally would be able to snare his heart. She was still in a wheelchair, after all, and his affection for Lelouch's little sister may never blossom into anything else. So, the best solution was to isolate Suzaku, not allow him the opportunity to form new friendships, so that he would be forced to consider Nunnally as the center of his world. That would leave the choice up to her. He'd killed off Suzaku Kururugi today. The only identity left to him now was the one Lelouch would give him. True, Zero seemed to attract a good deal of attention. Neither Kaguya nor Kallen would have fallen for Lelouch (either Lamperouge _or_ vi Britannia). But Suzaku took things so damned seriously. He'd hide behind the mask; he wouldn't allow anyone to get close.

Which was the problem.

How could he arrange for Suzaku to include Nunnally, to take off his mask for her (but no one else) without him suspecting that he was walking into an arranged marriage? It had been perfect, when the plan _was_ to isolate Suzaku, to leave him alone with his grief and self-recrimination. It was the perfect punishment, really. But now, with Nunnally _alive_, it would be foolish to avenge her. He had the rest of it worked out. Suzaku's natural loyalty towards Nunnally would be reinforced by Zero's official stance. But that subservient "Yes, Your Majesty!" crap would be mitigated by the fact that Zero had no place in the official power structure. (_He _might get a kick out of that, but he knew Nunnally would hate it.) He could operate independently, and thus as an equal. But Lelouch had to keep Nunnally in the dark; she would _not_ be part of the Zero Requiem, no matter what. So how...?

Restless, he sat up, knocking some of the throw pillows to the floor. Arms suddenly draped themselves around his shoulders. "Having second thoughts?" C.C. asked.

He shook his head, trying to shrug out of her casual embrace. "It's too late for that," he informed her. "Much too late. I will keep my word to you, and my promise to Suzaku...and give Nunnally a place in that world. All in one fell swoop." He turned to face her with a smirk. The boy-emperor certainly was cocky, but in light of today's victory, perhaps she could concede that he'd earned the right to be. Things were going much better than hoped.

"I have little choice but to trust you," she said noncommittally. "You've been motivated by hatred for so long. Do you even know how to..."

"I have no intention of avenging you, do I?"

"Mmm. You can't kill the people who hurt me; they're already dead."

"You're a witch, not an empress. We'll save that role for Nunnally," he said.

He stood up, and her arms fell away. He looked down at Suzaku, who hadn't moved, and then at the table with remnants of their 'feast' scattered across it. It looked more like a Student Council party than a warriors' victory celebration; Suzaku had refused any alcohol. "I'm on pain meds, remember? Are you _trying_ to kill me?"

"I already have, Suzaku," Lelouch murmured. Tomorrow, they'd have to start planning his funeral. He was not worried that Nunnally would hate Suzaku for killing him. He had long since learned that it was difficult to hate Suzaku when he was around, particularly when he was being cooperative. Nunnally might not experience that synergy of working together that he did, but she would love Suzaku regardless. He was sure of that. He knew Nunnally better than he knew anyone in the world. She may have changed in the time they'd been apart, but even so, less than two years was hardly long enough to crush the kindness out of her. She'd find it in her heart to forgive him. Besides, they had time to work that out. He wanted Suzaku to be there for her, not to marry her next week.

He turned off the only light in the room. "I'm going to bed," Lelouch informed C.C., and was not surprised when she followed him into the next room. She had become a rather constant presence in his life, no matter how much he seemed to ignore her.

"Should I be worried?" she asked him.

"About what?" he asked, not looking at her, his hand reaching for a clasp on his shoulder.

"You're abandoning them so easily. What's to say you won't do the same to me?"

He turned to look at her with a full smirk. "You think _this_ is easy? Besides, I'm not leaving them alone. They'll have each other. Is that answer enough for you?"

"Yes. Anyone you leave with me will eventually die, leaving me alone again."

"True. It looks as though I'll always have to come back for you." He took off his emperor's robes. Underneath, he was wearing the world's most conservative undergarments - essentially, a pair of white long johns. He made many concessions for C.C., but that didn't mean he was comfortable being half naked around her. Especially knowing that she would not allow him to sleep alone. He climbed into bed and turned his back to her. The lights went out. A moment later, he felt bare arms wrap around him again. "I want to sleep," he said, not opening his eyes.

"You're too bony," she complained. "You should eat more."

"I _do_ eat more," he said, exasperated. He knew she would complain about his cold feet in the morning, too. "If you don't like my shoulder blades, then curl up with a pillow instead."

She didn't move.

Before succumbing to sleep, he promised himself that he would solve this. Neither Suzaku nor Nunnally would be alone. It was the only way he could justify deceiving and abandoning them. For the sake of the Zero Requiem.... That, and he missed Nunnally's smile.

* * *

_Author's Note: And with THAT, this fic draws to a close. Lelouch insisted on having the last word, and I eventually gave in to his manipulation. I insisted and insisted that this was all supposed to be from Suzaku's POV, but he said there were things he wasn't going to tell Suzaku and I should just accept that and let him have his say; that, and he pointed out that it would bookmark the series with highly introspective pieces. So, obviously, this is a "Lelouch was the cart driver" story, even though Suzaku thinks it was a "Lelouch is well and truly dead" story. I think Suzaku's version is more meaningful, but Lelouch wasn't quite fool enough to stay dead. So....yeah. C.C. was highly amused to watch Lelouch deviously plot...romance._

_Thank you very much for reading. Hope you enjoyed! :)  
_


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